


Love is Hard for Little Birds

by Catering_fears



Category: Hyouka & Kotenbu Series
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, F/M, Mild spoilers for the novels, Romance, and Houtarou not knowing how to deal with Feelings, and they work office jobs, but like in the loosest sense, featuring Satoshi being a meddler, they’re grown ups now, wotakoi au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25770256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catering_fears/pseuds/Catering_fears
Summary: 26-year-old Eru Chitanda has landed herself a new job at a brand new company. She’s nervous, but she’s ready to take on the new challenge.Things take an unexpected turn when she runs into an old high school friend and finds out that all of her former classmates from the Classics Club work at the same company.Reuniting with old friends causes old feelings to arise, and with her family pressuring her to get married, Eru decides to enter a relationship with the only person she feels truly accepts her.
Relationships: Chitanda Eru/Oreki Houtarou, Fukube Satoshi/Ibara Mayaka
Comments: 24
Kudos: 59





	1. An Act of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> I come once again bearing Hyouka fanfic, this time it’s an AU
> 
> Previous knowledge of the series “Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku” is not required to enjoy this fic. 
> 
> I plan to post a new chapter every week or every other week depending on how the writing process goes.
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy!

Today would be Eru’s first day at her new job, her nerves were shot. Right now her hand was aching from gripping the bus strap so hard on the commute there, like her life depended on it.

She really had no reason to be so nervous, she was perfectly qualified for the job, and it seemed like management was looking forward to having her. Even so, all she could think about how this position was much higher up then her last one, expectations would be higher. She was going to be the new girl in the office, too, which came with its own challenges. Then there was that thing her parents had said to her a few weeks ago when she told them she’d gotten a new job.

Eru didn’t live at home anymore, but she went to her parents house a few times a month for dinner. Her parents had been very excited for her, but then came the words she’d dreaded to hear.

“Maybe you’ll meet a nice man at your new job!”

It seemed like every time she talked to her parents nowadays, the topic would circle back to her love life. Questions about when she was going to get married, if she’d met anyone recently, or why she’d broken up with her last boyfriend. She could understand where they were coming from, her parents were getting on in years and they wanted to make sure she was taken care of and they wanted grandkids (that they were very vocal about).

She calmly explained to her mother that jobs weren’t for matchmaking, it was a professional environment. She’d find a man eventually, they’d get their grandkids, she was only 26, she wasn’t gonna become a spinster. At least she hoped not. Eru did want to get married, but she also wanted to find the right guy, and that sort of thing took time. Besides, she had her career to focus on, which need she remind them that they were the ones who pushed her towards making her own future in the first place.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind of those thoughts. Like she explained to her parents, the workplace wasn’t for romance. Instead she focused on remembering what floor, room, and desk she would be working at. After all, It would be a shame if she was late on her first day because she got lost.

As she rounded a corner, her body collided with something solid. She staggered backwards a few steps, apologizing profusely for her clumsiness until her eyes met a familiar face.

“F-Fukube?!” 

“Chitanda?!”

They spoke in unison, with identical looks of surprise, but Fukube’s expression melted into an easy smile.

“Chitanda, what a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?”

Eru was still in a bit of shock, she scanned the man before her to get her bearings. He wore a light teal button down with a red tie that had some kind of loud pattern on it and tan khakis with a nice pair of sneakers the same color as his shirt. If his fashion sense was anything to go by, this was definitely the Fukube she knew in high school.

“I... work here now. I just started today.”

“No way! That’s great, what department?”

“Accounting.”

“Hey, we work on the same floor, would you like me to walk you there?”

“If you don’t mind...”

“Not at all!”

And so she ended up following Fukube to their floor. She didn’t even have to worry about any awkward silence because he seemed happy to fill it.

“I heard that accounting was getting a new hire this week, but I never would’ve guessed it would be you. What are the odds?”

“I had no idea you worked here, Fukube.” 

“If you knew would you have still taken the job?”

“Of course!” It was only after her defensive reply that she realized he was just teasing her and Fukube laughed. It’d been awhile since she’d spoken with him and she’d forgotten his tendency to not take anything too seriously.

“Mayaka and Houtarou will be excited to see you.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“They work here, too. Houtarou and I are in the same department. Mayaka works a few floors up.”

Those details told Eru that this time he was not teasing. Fukube working at the same company as her was one thing, but all of the old Classic Literature Club from Kamiyama High working in the same place? This had to be an act of fate of some kind. And Oreki—

Fukube suddenly stopped walking and Eru nearly crashed into him again. “This is your stop.”

She looked up and sure enough, the entrance way that led to the accounting department was right in front of her.

“We should both probably get to work. Let’s all meet for lunch, okay? Good luck on your first day!”

Fukube didn’t give her anytime to reply, already halfway down the hallway, waving goodbye.

“Ah, thank you!” She called out to him and he gave her a big smile before disappearing around the corner.

~~~

“You seem more insufferable than usual.”

Houtarou cast an annoyed glance at Satoshi who was hovering at his desk. His friend was typing away at his phone and humming a familiar tune that Houtarou couldn’t quite remember the name of. Over the years of knowing him, Houtarou had become incredibly skilled at tuning out his antics when he needed to, but Satoshi in turn had become incredibly skilled at annoying him when he wanted to.

“I’m just excited about something, is all.”

“You’re going to get behind on your work.”

Satoshi was quick to change the subject. “you’ll never guess who I saw in the halls today.”

Houtarou looked over his shoulder, “who?” 

“It’s a secret for now, but you’ll find out at lunch.”

“Are you texting that person right now?”

“No, I’m telling Mayaka who I saw.”

“Oh, so you’re going to tell her, but not me?”

Satoshi pouted at that, “she wouldn’t come down to our floor for lunch if I didn’t tell her.”

“You know, for being your girlfriend she doesn’t seem to want to spend a lot of time with you.”

“She says I’m too distracting.”

“Really? Wonder why she thinks that,” Houtarou deadpanned.

Satoshi snapped his phone shut and then pressed a small stack of papers to Houtarou’s chest.

“Could you make copies of these files for me?”

“What? Why? You’re already up.”

“I’m behind on my work, besides, you just said something really insensitive to me so you own me.”

Houtarou narrowed his eyes at Satoshi’s retreating form as he made his way to his desk, signaling that he wasn’t going to take any arguments from him.

Houtarou huffed, “you’re lucky you’re my friend.”

“Yes, and I’m so grateful to you, Houtarou~”

Their floor only had two copy rooms, one by the accounting department and one by the break room. Houtarou guessed it was because the company couldn’t afford a copier for every department. The one closest to Satoshi and his department was by accounting, so Houtarou headed toward there.

He skimmed over the files Satoshi had given him, messing up the order a bit out of spite. He glanced up at for a moment at the window that provided a view into the accounting room as he passed by, and what he saw in there made him do a double take.

Past the glass, in the accounting room, sitting at a desk looking determined and focused was a face he hadn’t seen for years. Eru Chitanda. He nearly dropped the papers he was holding, making a sharp turn back to his own department with a speed that would put an Olympic sprinter to shame. He could vaguely hear Satoshi complain about him not copying the files after he slammed them on his friend’s desk before sitting down at his own.

Houtarou didn’t even have to look at Satoshi, he could feel his devious smile burning into the side of his face. He pointedly ignored him and busied himself with work, until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He already knew who the message was from, and he knew that if he ignored it then the sender would distract him from his work again. He begrudgingly pulled out his phone.

_From: Satoshi Fukube_

_You saw her, didn’t you?_

Before he could reply another message popped up.

_Hope you’re ready for lunch!_

All Houtarou could do was put his head in his hands. Today was going to be a long day.

~~~

Eru has nearly convinced herself during work that maybe she had just been seeing things. Maybe her nerves were causing her to hallucinate her old high school friends to comfort her. That was, until she heard Fukube call out to her and she looked up from her desk to see him waving at her from across the room. She knew he’d said they should eat lunch together, but she hadn’t expected him to come get her right as it started. She grabbed her lunch bag and trotted over to him.

“How’s your first day been so far?” He asked as he lead her to the break room.

“Good! There’s a lot of new things to learn, but I’m up to the challenge!”

“That’s great to hear. Houtarou is waiting for us in the break room, so we should hurry.”

Eru gripped the handle to her lunch bag tighter as they picked up the pace. It had been so long since she’d see Oreki, she wondered if he’d changed at all. Fukube hadn’t seemed to have changed in the slightest.

“Houtarou was really surprised when I told him you were working here.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yeah, he almost didn’t believe me, but I convinced him.” Fukube turned to smile at her, “he’ll be happy to see you.”

Something about the way he said that made Eru pause. It was the most sincere he’d sounded all day. It eased the turning in her stomach, but it caused a whole new feeling to stir in her chest.

When they arrived at the break room she spotted Oreki immediately. He was sitting by himself at one of the few tables. He wore a dark gray suit and his usually messy hair was fixed up. He cleaned up nice. Yet he still looked like the same old Oreki.

“Hey, Houtarou, look who I brought,” Fukube sing-songed, pushing Eru in his direction.

Upon seeing her, Oreki quickly stood up from his seat, “Chitanda, it’s good to see you again.” 

“Yeah, fancy meeting you here.”

To her surprise, Oreki’s lips turned up just the slightest bit, and not even in a forced manner like he used to. It seemed natural.

“Why don’t we all sit down, Mayaka should be joining us soon.” Fukube took her by the shoulders and plopped her down onto the chair beside Oreki.

They say in silence and Eru fiddled with the hem of her skirt beneath the table, reaching for something to say. She was saved though when a high-pitched voice cut through the room.

“Chi-chan!” The wind was knocked out of her as she was wrapped up in a tight embrace.

“Mayaka!” She returned her old friend’s hug, laughing as she nuzzled her hair.

Mayaka’s hair was the same length it had been before, but she’d grown out her bangs, which were held back by a flower shaped clip. She wore a light yellow button down and black pencil skirt along with a pair of heels that made her look much taller than she actually was.

“It’s so good to see you again! It’s been way too long!”

“Yes! I missed all of you.”

“But you missed me the most, right?” Mayaka sat beside Eru with a smirk.

She opened her mouth to playfully rebuff her, but Fukube butted in.

“Oh please, we all know Houtarou was the one she missed the most.”

Eru flushed at that.

“You underestimate the bonds of female friendship, Fuku-chan.”

“There wasn’t anyone I missed the most!” she denied maybe a little too quickly. 

“Don’t listen to him, Chitanda, he’s just being a pest.” 

She smiled at that, feeling more relaxed now. She brought a hand to her mouth and pondered a loud, “isn’t it curious that we all met here.”

“Let’s not get started on that,” Oreki sighed.

“Ah, yes, now I really feel like I’ve been transported to the old Classics Clubroom.”

Mayaka changed the subject. “What have you been up to Chi-chan? How was college?”

They spent their lunch break eating and catching up. Eru found out that all three of them ended up going to the same college, which led to them getting the same internship, which then led to them all working at the same company.

“They were all just following me around.” Fukube teased, with only mild protests from Oreki and Mayaka. That led Eru to believe there was some truth to it.

She also discovered that Mayaka was writing manga and that she even had a magazine publishing it weekly. Eru didn’t read manga often, but she wanted to read Mayaka’s. She was sure that whatever she made would be amazing.

“I should bring you the first volume tomorrow.” The sound of moving chairs started to fill the room, bringing the group out of their conversation. “Lunch break is much too short for catching up.”

Oreki checked his watch, “we’ve only got five more minutes.”

“Ah, I got to get back to my floor,” Mayaka shot up and started packing up her things.

“We should meet up after work then,” Satoshi suggested, “there’s a nice bar just down the street from the office. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up there.”

They all agreed to meet after work before Mayaka rushed off. The rest of them began parting ways, but Oreki stopped Eru just outside of the break room.

“What is it, Oreki?”

“Uh,” he fumbled a bit, not meeting her gaze.

Now that he was standing before her, Eru realized that he’d gotten a bit taller. Or maybe it was just because he wasn’t slouching anymore. The thought made her face feel warm for some reason.

“I’ll see you after work,” his voice brought her out of her thoughts. He was already walking away.

“See you after work.”

She didn’t think he heard her.

~~~

“I just remembered, my deadline is coming up, so I can’t come.”

“And I help her beta, so I can’t come either.”

“But you two should still go! Catch up! Have fun for our sake!”

“Yeah, all four of us can go out another time!”

That was how Houtarou and Chitanda ended up at the bar with just the two of them. 

Chitanda was already on her second glass while Houtarou was only halfway through his first. Based on her behavior, she was already getting tipsy. It sort of reminded him of that time she got drunk after eating too many whiskey chocolates.

“You wanna know what my parents said when I told them I got this new job? ‘Maybe you’ll meet a nice man!’ Ugh.” 

Houtarou didn’t think he’d ever seen her so loose before, it was honestly a little amusing to watch, but he’d stop her if she tried to get another drink. He didn’t think he’d ever have the energy to deal with a fully drunk Chitanda.

“Do they want you to get married?” He wasn’t sure how the conversation drifted to this topic. It’s possible she’d just brought it up out of the blue because it was the most pressing thing on her mind.

She nodded, “yeah, but finding a good man is hard.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“It is! You know, they always say to ‘be yourself’ and I tried that, but guys didn’t like me.” Chitanda laid her head on the bar, looking dejected. “They all said I was too annoying.”

Houtarou couldn’t say he’d never been annoyed by Chitanda, there was a time where he had been, but that changed as they became closer. It had even gotten to the point where he couldn’t imagine what he’d be like without her in his life.

“You’re not annoying.” 

“That actually means a lot coming from you, considering how much I bugged you back in high school.” She turned her head to look at him and smiled slightly. It made his chest feel light.

“You didn’t, not really.”

Chitanda scoffed, like he was lying. He was too caught up in the fact that she just scoffed at him to reassure her that he wasn’t.

“I tried to be normal around my last boyfriend, but it just... didn’t feel right. My parents were pretty disappointed when we broke up, but how was I supposed to be with a guy I couldn’t be myself around?”

“Wouldn’t make for a very good life.”

Chitanda hummed in agreement, taking another sip of her drink. She plopped her face back on the counter and started kicking her legs and groaning.

“Ugh, why can’t they just get off my back already.”

Houtarou had to stifle a laugh. It was admittedly quite fun to watch the usually well put together Chitanda act childish. He wasn’t sure if it was because of her abnormal behavior or the alcohol starting to take effect or something else entirely, but a rather bold thought popped into his mind. He casually took a sip of his drink as he voiced it. 

“You know, I might be able to help you with that.”

Chitanda stopped her kicking and groaning, lifting her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

“I know what you’re like and I don’t mind it, we could date.”

The look she had on her face when she turned to him immediately exorcised whatever boldness he’d been possessed with. His next instinct was to deflect.

“Just to get your parents off your back for a bit, so you don’t have to deal with their pestering.”

“Oh.”

Was that disappointment he heard? No, he must be imagining things. If anything, she’d be relieved.

“It wouldn’t be much trouble for me, but we don’t have to...”

“No, you’re right.”

“Huh?”

Chitanda sat up and leaned close to him. “Let’s date.”

He always found it hard to refuse her when she was so close and when those eyes of hers bored into his very soul. He had been the one to first suggest it, so...

“Alright, let’s date.”

“Couples don’t usually call themselves by their last names, do they?” Houtarou asked as they were walking home from the bar. Not that he would really know, he’d never been in a relationship before.

“I guess not...” Chitanda must’ve been sobering up a bit— he’d made sure her next order after her second drink was a glass of water— she was starting to act like herself again.

“So then we should drop formalities, call each other by our first names.”

“I suppose you’re right, Houtarou.” She delicately covered her mouth with her hand. “That makes it sound so much more official.”

“It’ll definitely take some getting used to.”

He watched Eru as she moved to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. He felt an urge to brush it back for her, but resisted it. He’d already been forward enough tonight.

Satoshi sure would be pleased with himself when he heard about this. Houtarou could tell that he was trying to set them up, he even got Ibara in on it. Although maybe he’d be surprised to find out they made such a big step, and on the first night.

His friend knew that he had a crush on Eru since high school, but Houtarou himself hadn’t realized it till a few years afterwards. He didn’t think he’d see her for a long time, and if he did he was sure she’d already be taken. Now she was back into his life and became his girlfriend not even a day later.

Maybe it was fate.

“My apartment complex is just across the street here.”

“Oh, mine’s the other way.”

“Then I guess this is where we part ways.”

Eru gave him a slight bow. He returned the gesture, but he felt like there was something more he should do. Should he pat her head? Hug her? Kiss her?

This was just like earlier at the office. He knew he should say something to her, something nice or something that would convey his feelings, but he just couldn’t. His mouth would get all dry and his throat would tighten and he’d chicken out.

Eventually he settled on just saying, “be careful on your way home.”

“I will be. Good night, Houtarou.”

“Good night, Eru. See you tomorrow.”


	2. Feeling like a Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eru feels embarrassed that she asked Houtarou out the first night they reunite. Houtarou realizes he didn’t make his feelings more clear and resolves to be more straightforward, yielding some mixed results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who commented on the last chapter and left kudos, I really appreciate your support! It’s motivated me a lot!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this new chapter~

“So you and Oreki are dating now, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“So why are you hiding from him right now?”

Eru looked up at Mayaka from where she was crouching behind a filing cabinet. Houtarou was currently standing in front of the window that looked into the accounting office, speaking to Satoshi. She had been talking to Mayaka and as soon as she saw him she hid.

“Did you two get in a fight or something?” Mayaka’s gaze shifted between the two of them, a deadly expression crossing her face. “Did he say something insensitive to you?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Eru peeked her head out ever so slowly only to see Houtarou staring right at her. She squeaked and hid again. “I just don’t know how to act around him now.”

Now that she had slept on it, Eru felt like a complete fool for letting this happen. She doesn’t see Houtarou for years and the first thing she does when she has a moment alone with him is ask him out? It may not be the craziest thing she’s ever done, but it’s definitely in the top five.

Not that she thought dating him was a bad thing, not in the slightest. Rather it was the reason and the circumstances that led to them getting together that had her mentally banging her head against the wall for her stupidity.

“Just act like yourself. He wouldn’t mind.”

Mayaka’s words only succeeded in making Eru feel even worse about the whole situation. In her mind, Houtarou tolerated her at best and was completely exasperated by her at worst. His lifestyle was, and always had been, completely at odds with her personality. Which made them dating a little ironic, not only because of that, but also because she specifically wanted to find someone who accepted her for who she was.

Eru figured that explaining that to Mayaka would take longer than the rest of their break.

“It’s not just that, it’s also because he... well, he’s pity dating me.”

Her friend looked at her in complete disbelief. “Him, pity dating you? That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“But it’s true! I told him my family was bugging me to get married and he offered to date me to get them off my back. He’s just doing this for my sake.”

“I think you might be misinterpreting his intentions.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I’m not entirely, but you could just ask him yourself.”

Eru turned to protest, but nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the man in question standing just a few feet away, likely within earshot.

Her eyes darted around the room, but there was no place to run, she was backed into a corner. Mayaka, perhaps feeling some sympathy for her struggling friend, came to her rescue.

“Oreki, what brings you here?”

“Uh, I wanted to talk to Eru.”

“She’s not here.”

Houtarou pointed to the crouching figure right behind her, “but I can see her right there.”

“Maybe you should get your eyes checked.”

“Hey now Mayaka,” Satoshi interjected, “let them talk it out. We shouldn’t interfere.”

“You’re one to talk, all you’ve done is interfere with them.”

“Let’s not throw around wild accusations.”

Based on Mayaka's face, Eru could tell that she was about to blow up at Satoshi. “W-wait, don’t—“

She was too late, they were already going off on each other and she could only look on helplessly as they did. She felt something warm touch her hand. It was Houtarou.

“They’ll be at it for awhile, we should talk.”

Before she could object, he was already pulling her away. 

Stopping when they got to a more secluded part of the hallway, he let go of her hand and kept his back turned to her.

“Do you really think I just started dating you out of pity?”

Eru lowered her gaze, “you said you were just doing it to help me, so I thought...”

There was a long pause before Houtarou sighed, “I’m sorry, I guess I should’ve made my feelings more clear.”

She blinked and raised her head back up, “what—“

“I didn’t agree to going out with you just to help you out. I... I really do like you, Eru.” He turned his body in her direction, but kept his eyes averted. “I should’ve made that more clear. I’m just... not very good at expressing my feelings, I’m sorry.”

Eru surged forward and took hold of his hands, clasping it between both of her’s. Houtarou was startled, but now he was looking at her face. 

“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t make my feelings clear either.” Her grip on his hands tightened. “So, instead of saying we’re dating just to get my parents off my back, let’s say we’re dating because we want to.”

She was sure her face was as red as his, but he nodded. “That sounds good to me.”

~~~

It'd been a few weeks now since Eru started working at their company and the Classics Club fully reunited. They’d all eat lunch together during the day and would go out for drinks once a week. It was funny how the return of just one person could make their group full whole again. Satoshi commented something along those lines to him a few days ago.

“Chitanda was like the last piece in the puzzle,” he’d said.

Even back in high school, Eru had an energy about her that just seemed to ooze affability. Sure, the three of them had hung out even without her, but it was... different. With her there the atmosphere changed. It was just better with her there.

Maybe that was Houtarou’s bias at play, he was dating her after all. Although he couldn’t say their relationship had progressed all that much since they’d cleared the air between them. Instead they went back to the way they’d been in the past. Eru was still as curious as ever, and he was happy to satisfy her curiosity with whatever theories he cooked up.

“You’re still so good at this, Houtarou!” She’d told him after solving one of many office mysteries. He recalled that particular one involving a missing stapler.

It was incredible to him how not only she could still find intrigue in the most mundane, but also that she remained amazed by his deduction skills. That youthful wonder she’d carried with her all the way to adulthood, he envied it in a way. All he seemed to have kept from his youth was his lack of straightforwardness. He wanted to fix that.

“You cook?” Ibara asked incredulously when he’d suggested they come over for dinner upon seeing them on his way to work. She certainly did not lack straightforwardness. He’d envy it if she wasn’t so rude about it half the time.

“How else am I supposed to feed myself?”

“I just assumed you got takeout.” 

“I don’t have the kind of money to eat out all the time.”

“He doesn’t have a side gig like you do, Mayaka,” Satoshi gibed.

Discontented, she back tracked, “I guess I’m just surprised you’re inviting us over. I don’t think any of us have been to your apartment.”

“Unless Chitanda has been by this point,” Satoshi smirked.

“No, this would be her first time at my apartment, too.”

Satoshi frowned at that, Houtarou could only wonder what he was so disappointed about.

“I’m surprised, too, honestly. You’re usually a very private person, Houtarou.” Then Satoshi grinned. “I guess there’s a certain someone pushing you to be more open, is that right?”

He wasn’t wrong, Houtarou’s decision to invite his friends over did have something to do with Eru. After their mix up, he came to the realization that his tendency to deflect and close himself off was a detriment. If he wanted things to work out with Eru, he was going to have to learn to be more open. He figured this was a good start.

He wasn’t sure if he quite had it in him yet to tell Satoshi and Ibara all that. Instead he just asked, “do you two want to come over or not?”

They couldn’t come straight after work like Houtarou wanted them to, but what they had to do could be done quickly so they promised to be there not long after. Now to ask Eru.

He’d have to find her before lunch, it’d be troublesome if the others mentioned dinner before he had a chance to ask her himself. Work didn’t start for another ten minutes, so he walked straight to the accounting department to see if he could catch her. Unfortunately he had no such luck. Odd, usually she was early.

Houtarou had another chance, he knew that about two hours before lunch, Eru liked to go to the break room and make herself some tea. She didn’t drink coffee like everyone else— she wasn’t good with caffeine— so she often drank tea instead. She said she used tea to calm her nerves. Unlike her, he practically lived off coffee, but he monitored his intake this morning in order to give himself the perfect excuse to go at just the right time.

Sure enough, when he got to the break room she was there. He steeled himself before walking over to greet her.

“Oh, good morning, Houtarou!” She was cheerful, but he could sense a bit of stress beneath it all. Accounting must not be easy.

“I noticed you weren’t as early as usual this morning.”

“Yes, there was a problem with my commute.” There was a far off look to her that Houtarou recognized all to well. “It was strange...” Curiosity was beginning to bubble to the surface, whatever had happened, she wanted him to help her figure it out. He didn’t have time for this, the mystery could wait, he had to ask her first.

“Do you have any plans tonight, Eru?”

That seemed to be enough to throw her off track, as she turned to him with a different kind of curiosity. “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering if you’d like to come over to my place tonight.”

“Your place? Tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, sure, sure! I-I’d love to.”

“Good, we could just go there together after work, if that’s okay?”

“Y-yeah, sounds good.”

Mission accomplished. He got his coffee, satisfied that everything was set in place for tonight. Now he just had to figure out what he was going to make for dinner.

~~~

If Eru had thought she’d been anxious about her new job a few weeks ago, she had been dead wrong. She didn’t really know what nerves felt like, at least not until now. Not until her boyfriend invited her to come to his apartment, at night, with just the two of them.

It had been incredibly hard to focus on work afterwards, the implications of his invitation were not lost to her and they weighed heavily on her mind. She drank her tea and told herself that she was reading too much into it. He probably just wanted to spend some quality time with her. Quality... time...

She slapped her cheeks and reprimanded herself for her wandering mind. How improper of a daughter of the Chitanda Clan! She pushed away all thoughts of the night ahead in favor of doing her job. To say her distracted state caused her to make a few mistakes would be an understatement.

She was once again met with the reality of her situation later that day when work had ended and she found Houtarou waiting for her outside of the accounting office. As they walked together to the bus stop, Eru willed her cheeks to stop blushing, trying to think of something other than being alone with him in his apartment. Houtarou unknowingly swooped in to save her.

“I was thinking of making curry tonight.”

“Curry?” Yes, curry, curry was a good thing to think about.

“Yeah, I think I have all the ingredients. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course! Do you mind if I help?”

“You’re supposed to be a guest.”

“I’d feel bad if I just left you to cook by yourself.”

He smiled fondly at her, “alright, if you insist.”

Now Eru’s head was filled with thoughts of curry. Cutting the vegetables, cooking the rice... then it occurred to her that this all was quite strange. Houtarou inviting her over and offering to cook her dinner just out of the blue. It was so unlike the boy she’d known before, but then again he wasn’t that boy anymore. She smiles at the thought.

The bus was packed when they got on, they barely found any space to stand. The blush returned to her face as the space between them vanished. All she could do was stare at Houtarou’s chest, studying the pattern of his tie as the bus drove through the city. She risked a glance up at him and noticed his face was pale.

“Are you alright?”

“This road is a bit bumpy, don’t you think?”

Ah, that’s right, she remembered now, he was prone to carsickness. The image of a teenaged Houtarou sitting curled up beside her on a small bus heading to the hot springs popped into her mind. It made her want to laugh, but she held back, not wanting him to think she was amused by his suffering. So maybe there were still some remnants of that boy she once knew. Her nervousness seemed to melt away, if only just a smidge.

Houtarou’s apartment was small and tidy, yet well lived-in. It had a more modern design, much like her own, with dark wood linoleum flooring and light gray walls. There was a short hallway that led into the apartment where they deposited their shoes and he offered to take her coat. She entered the main living space; to her right was the kitchen, to her left were two doors that she guessed led to Houtarou’s bedroom and bathroom, and directly in front of her was the living room with a couch, a kotatsu, a tv, and a large bookshelf. The overall decor could be considered lacking, the walls were sparsely covered and there was a well-maintained plant in one of the corners, but Eru thought it was fitting for him. It smelled like him, too.

They got started on dinner immediately. Eru rolled up her sleeves and assisted him in chopping the vegetables as he manned the stove. 

“How do you chop the vegetables so quickly and cleanly?” He asked as she slid the onions into the pan.

“Lots of practice.”

Houtarou didn’t look satisfied with her answer, but didn’t push for more, walking over to the fridge instead.

“I thought there was an open box of curry mix in here,” she heard him mutter. He closed the fridge with a huff, “I think there’s another box in the cabinet just above you.”

Instead of waiting for her to move out of the way, Houtarou reached past her to open the cabinet. She froze as she felt him brush against her back, her eyes fixed straight ahead. 

“Pardon my rea— Ah! Eru, your bleeding!”

“Eh?” Eru looked down to see that she was, in fact, bleeding. She must have cut her finger without even noticing.

“Hold on, I’ve got some bandages in my room.” 

While Houtarou rushed to his bedroom, Eru ran her hand under some cold water. This wasn’t the first time she’d accidentally cut herself while chopping vegetables, but the fact that she’d done it just because Houtarou reached over her made her feel foolish. She was a grown woman, not some naive high schooler! And it’s not like it was the first time they’d ever been close to each other. Though she did suppose the circumstances were a little different.

Houtarou returned with a bandage before she could dwell on it any further. She dried off her hand and he helped her apply a bandage to her injured finger.

“That cut doesn’t look too deep,” he commented.

“No, and thankfully I didn’t bleed all over the cutting board.” She cast a glance over her shoulder, “but we should probably replace that knife.”

“Sorry for bumping into you.”

“Huh? What? You didn’t bump into me, my hand just… slipped.”

“So I guess then even pros can slip up.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a pro…”

“Either way I’d like to learn your technique. Minus nearly cutting off a finger.”

Eru chuckled and they resumed making dinner before it burned. In the middle of a lesson on how to properly cut vegetables, there was a knock at Houtarou’s door. He went to answer and a minute later two unexpected guests came into the apartment.

“Sorry we’re late!”

“Mayaka? Fukube? What are you two doing here?”

“We’re here to eat dinner of course!” Fukube replied enthusiastically.

Houtarou didn’t seem alarmed by their arrival at all, resuming stirring the curry like nothing was amiss.

“We also decided that we’d be turning this little dinner party into a sleepover, hope you don’t mind, Houtarou.”

“That’s fine.”

“I brought you a change of clothes, Chi-chan.”

“Ah, thank you.” Eru paused, looking between Mayaka and Fukube with a slightly tense smile. “I didn’t know you two would be joining us.”

Her remark was met with awkward silence.

~~~

Ibara’s laughter filled his apartment, mocking him mercilessly.

“You really didn’t tell her?”

“I didn’t mean to keep it a secret or anything.”

He really had not meant for this to happen. Houtarou could only imagine what Eru had been thinking when he— at least in her mind— invited her to his apartment for dinner, alone, just the two of them. Actually, no, he was not going to imagine that. Not under any circumstances.

One could say that he had, in a way, succeeded in being more straightforward like he said he would. However, since being alone with Eru had not been his goal, he’d failed quite miserably by leaving out vital details about their plans for this evening.

At least Ibara seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Really, it’s fine,” Eru reassured him, “it was a simple mistake.”

“Sorry for barging in on your alone time with Houtarou,” Satoshi said, not sounding sorry at all.

“N-no! You weren’t barging in on anything!”

Houtarou could only look away in an effort to hide his blushing face. “Let’s just eat already, the curry’s done.”

He felt so foolish, going and giving Eru the wrong idea like that. Sure, she was his girlfriend, but they hadn’t been dating that long. He supposed the best thing for him was to just let it go, she didn’t seem that bothered, after all.

They all ate dinner around the kotatsu, no one complained about the food, so Houtarou felt that meant it was safe for him to assume that it was decent. After dinner, they decided upon watching a movie, though Houtarou did not have much of a selection. Ibara complained about his taste in movies, and he dismissed himself to the shower to avoid any further abuse. 

When he came out of the bathroom, pajamas on and a towel hanging around his neck, he was surprised to see Eru alone in the living room, standing in front of his bookshelf. He leaned over behind her.

“Looking for something?”

She let out an adorable squeak, dropping the book in her hands.

“Houtarou!” She clutched at her chest, “I didn’t hear you come out.”

“Where'd the other two go? ” He asked, sitting down on his couch and rubbing his damp hair with his towel.

“They said they wanted to look for a better movie, so they went to a rental store.”

“Ah, I see.” He glanced over, watching as she picked up the book she dropped. “Are those the old anthologies?”

“Oh, yes. I’m honestly a little surprised you still have them.”

“Why wouldn’t I? They hold precious memories.”

“I guess I didn’t think you’d be the sentimental type… but you did write most of these, so I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised.”

He peeked at her from under the towel. She was staring fondly at a copy of their very first anthology, Hyouka. The one that held the truth to her uncle’s high school experience. The first big mystery he’d helped solve.

“You know, you’ve changed a lot since then.” Eru said as she tore her gaze away from the book, Houtarou looked away before she could catch him staring.

“You think so?”

“Yeah, all in good ways.” She placed the book back on the shelf and sat beside him on the couch. “Though there are some things that never change.”

She’s looking up at him with a soft expression on her face and Houtarou can hardly stand it. He attempts to lighten the tension between them by plopping his damp towel on her head. Her small giggle struck a direct blow to his heart.

“I could say the same thing about you.”

Without warning, she reached up and ruffled his hair. The feeling of her hand in his hair made his heartbeat quicken.

“I think I like it better messy.”

He was looking directly into her eyes now, absolutely captivated. Those eyes of hers always seemed to pull him into something, usually a mystery of some kind, but right now they were urging him to lean forward and he obeyed them like he always did. It was only a small peck on the lips, but it made him feel warm all over and when he pulled away, Eru’s cheeks were painted crimson.

“Sorry, was that—“

He was cut off by the sound of his front door opening, and the two of them sprung apart, flying to opposite ends of the couch.

“We brought some treats!” Satoshi cheered.

“And a better movie than anything Oreki could possibly have,” Ibara added.

“Wonderful! I should get it washed up before we get started. Is it okay if I use your bathroom?”

“Sure, of course, go ahead.” Houtarou replied, not daring to look at her as he attempted to casually hide his flushed face behind his hand. He looked up as she hurried past him and saw that she, too, was hiding her blushing face.


	3. Unexpected Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The former Classics Club decide to go on a double date, but their plans are thwarted when an unexpected visitor arrives at Houtarou’s apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble, so I hope y’all enjoy more than I did writing it lol

Prior to reuniting with her high school friends, Eru never considered herself much of a drinker.

She had sake on occasion, usually during big family dinners or ceremonies, but she wasn’t allowed to have more than a few sips, even after she reached legal drinking age. There was that one time in high school when she brought whiskey chocolates and accidentally got drunk off them, which was an embarrassing blunder that she’d rather not revisit. All of that was the extent of her experience with alcohol. Until now.

Being a working adult meant that finding time to socialize was nearly impossible. Free time was limited to after work and the weekends; depending on your situation outside of work even that could hardly be considered “free time.”

In the case of her and her friends, most of them had obligations outside of work. Mayaka had her manga, Fukube helped her, and Eru often visited with family. Houtarou simply just enjoyed his own alone time.

In order to maintain their rekindled friendship, they all decided to set aside the time to meet as a group at least once a week. Usually they met on Fridays and usually they met at a bar close to work, as that was most convenient.

For over a month now they successfully kept up this ritual, but unfortunately for Eru it sparked a rather bad habit in her.

Eru’s lack of experience with alcohol not only meant she was a bit of a light-weight, but also that she was bad at regulating herself. Sure, her friends occasionally had one too many, but she seemed to get drunk every time.

She really didn't mean to get drunk, in fact she went in every night vowing to watch her alcohol intake and not get wasted, but as the night would go on, she’d get caught up in the fun and forget the promise she’d made to herself. 

Mayaka, loyal friend that she was, ensured that she got home safely every night. However the previous week, after a particularly hellish deadline, Mayaka also went and got herself drunk. While Fukube took her away before she could get into any fights, Eru was escorted home by her own boyfriend. He never seemed to get drunk, something about alcohol not being worth the trouble. 

Though she could not remember any details of that night, the thought made her feel ashamed. Houtarou brushed off her apologies when she called him the next morning, but he did tease her somewhat, mentioning that she kept giggling for no reason. He didn’t criticize her apparent drinking habit, but she could sense some concern coming from him.

It seemed like all she was able to do lately was make herself look like a fool in front of him. She used to be so well put together, but now… he must be embarrassed to have a girlfriend like her.

She found herself once again swearing to pace herself this time as she and her friends walked to the bar. She wasn’t even going to have a drop of alcohol tonight.

“We’ll each have a beer,” Fukube told the waitress as soon as she came over, making Eru internally panic.

That’s okay, just because it was there didn’t mean she had to drink it. She could control herself.

“You wouldn’t believe the kind of day I had,” Mayaka groaned after their drinks came, taking a sip of her own.

“You’re not planning on drinking away your frustrations again, are you?”

Mayaka scowled at Houtarou’s words, but her expression softened to a pout when she glanced at Fukube. She sighed.

“No, I only allow myself that privilege every once in a while.”

“What happened at work?”

It’s seemed like an innocent enough question to Eru, little did she know that she just opened the floodgates.

“My boss is just such a hardass. He never listens to anyone, but I know that he knows that his ideas are absolute trash.”

They all end up spending a good portion of the night listening to Mayaka vent. Eru felt stressed just from listening to her, the world of marketing sounded tough. Looking down at her drink, Eru figured that a few sips wouldn’t hurt.

Mayaka downed the rest of her drink as her rant came to an end. “Don’t even get me started on the girl who sits next to me.”

“Yeah, let’s not,” Houtarou pleaded.

“Fuku-chan’s heard all the stories.”

“Yeah, she’s a real piece of work”

“At least the weekend gives me some time away from those assholes.”

“Your editor’s not much better, though.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

Eru pondered on a way to ease her friend’s troubles. She reached for her drink, but only to find that it’s all gone. There’s a glass of water in its place. “It’ll be awhile till your next deadline, right?” 

Mayaka nodded.

“Well, I won’t be visiting any family this weekend. Maybe we should all get together.”

This piqued Fukube’s interest, “funny you mention that, I was thinking the same thing.”

“Did you have something in mind, Satoshi?”

“Yeah, there’s this new cafe that opened up in town, I thought it’d be fun to check it out.”

“That does sound like fun!”

“Then let’s meet there tomorrow, I’ll send you two the address.”

“A new cafe?” Mayaka hummed as she played with the rim of her empty glass. “That reminds me of that time in our second year…”

Eru smiled as she listened to Mayaka reminisce. Even if that memory isn’t the most pleasant, it’s better than listening to her be frustrated. She took a drink of water then frowned at it, she doesn’t remember asking for water. Although she supposed the water is better than more beer.

“We should make it a double date!”

Houtarou gave Mayaka a confused look, “how is that different from what we’re doing now?”

“Don’t tell me you consider these little get-togethers dates! If that’s the case then I feel bad for Chi-chan.”

Eru didn’t have time to refute that before Houtarou responded, “then what do you consider these?”

“We’re just hanging out as friends! They’re the furthest thing from a date.”

Based on Houtarou’s face, he’s still a bit doubtful. Eru butted in to clear up Mayaka’s point.

“I get what she means. We’re here in our work clothes, at the most convenient place possible. Dates are meant to be special! You dress nicely and you do something special...”

“See? Chi-chan gets it.”

“What about when we hung out at my apartment? Wouldn’t that have technically been a double date?”

“I don’t know Houtarou, you were the one who put it together, did you intend for that to be a date?”

“Well, no—“

“Exactly! Intention is important. We were just hanging out together as friends! Not. A. Date.”

Houtarou tugged on his bangs, muttering an “I see.”

Fukube chuckled. “You still have much to learn about romance, my friend.”

~~~

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning, spring was in full bloom and Houtarou was still sound asleep. He was only roused from his slumber when he heard a commotion coming from outside his room. Eru had told him she’d be coming to pick him up so they could go to the cafe together, but he swore he heard more than one voice. Had Satoshi and Ibara come to pick him up, too?

He shuffled out of bed to investigate the noise, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. Surely enough, when he opened the door the first thing he saw was Eru turning to him was a nervous expression.

“G-good morning, Oreki!”

Oreki? Why was she calling him that? Weren’t they on a first name basis now?

Eru flicked her eyes to the side and he followed where they led. It took his sleep-addled brain a moment to process the sight before him.

“Good morning, little brother~”

“Tomoe?!”

Houtarou was wide awake now.

“What are you doing here?!”

“I came back from my trip to France this morning and I thought I’d give my little brother a visit.” She glanced at Eru with a smirk. “Sorry, I did realize you already had company.”

He was too busy fighting back a blush to respond, and like a hawk spotting a mouse in a field, his sister swooped in to tease him.

“Having a girl come to your apartment alone? I can hardly believe that my brother would do something so indecent.”

“It’s not like that—“

“Oh, so you say, but as I see it—“

“She’s—“

“I’m just a friend of his!” Eru interjected and his sister turned to her with a raised eyebrow. Houtarou is too relieved by her rescue to be bothered by her choice of words.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, uh, my name is Eru Chitanda.”

“Chitanda? As in from the Chitanda Clan?”

“Yes,” Eru nodded.

“Wait,” his sister's head snapped back to him, “didn’t you have a friend in high school with that name?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

Tomoe approached Eru, scrutinizing her. “Ah yes, I recognize you now. You’re the girl from the Classics Club!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Tomoe smiled at him mischievously, “didn’t you have a crush on her, Houtarou?”

He supposed that information was nothing to be embarrassed about since he and Eru are dating now, but he averted his gaze anyway.

“You’re dressed rather nice, were you two going to go out together?”

“No!” Eru replied frantically, “we were just going to go meet some friends, I was coming to pick him up.”

Houtarou is not entirely sure why Eru seemed set on making sure Tomoe doesn’t know about them dating, but he kept his mouth shut for now. She probably had a reason for it.

Tomoe hummed. “Well, I’d hate to impede on my brother’s social life, but it’s been an awfully long time since we’ve seen each other and I was hoping we could spend the day together.”

“That’s okay, I’m sure the others will understand.” Eru bowed and went to leave.

Damnit, no, this was not how things were supposed to go today. He really wanted to go out with Eru. After what Ibara said last night he realized they’d never been on a proper date before. This would be the first. He wasn’t gonna let the chance pass him by that easy, maybe there was some way they could shake his sister off.

“Wait, you already came all the way here, why don’t you join us?”

Eru blinked at him in surprise, “are you sure, is that okay?”

“I’m okay with it,” his sister agreed, “I wouldn’t mind getting to know one of Houtarou’s friends.”

Ignoring the emphasis she put on “friends,” Houtarou nodded. “I’ll go get dressed then.”

He shut his bedroom door behind him, he felt a little bad about leaving Eru alone with his sister, but he swore he’d be quick.

After he was dressed he asked his sister where she planned on taking them, but she only gave vague, noncommittal answers. He walked a few paces behind his sister as they left his apartment building, then tapped Eru on the shoulder.

“Sorry about this,” he muttered quietly so his sister couldn’t hear, “I had no idea she’d be here.”

Eru dropped her voice to a whisper, ”that’s okay, I remember that your sister is pretty spontaneous.”

That’s one way to put it. “I’ll figure out a way to shake her off.” He paused, something else occurred to him, “why’d you say we were just friends earlier?”

Eru glanced at her feet, “I wasn’t sure if she knew we were together or if you wanted her to know. Plus with what she was saying, if I said I was your girlfriend…”

He hadn’t really thought of that, but now that he does, he realized that he hadn’t gotten around to telling his sister he had a girlfriend. If she found out this way, he’d never hear the end of it. He found himself feeling grateful for Eru’s good instincts.

“Good point. I don’t mind if she knows, but now’s probably not the best time to tell her…”

Eru nodded in understanding and Houtarou sighed to himself. What a pain this was. Leave it to his sister to visit unannounced on a day like this. If they hoped to make it to their date on time, they’d have to get away from his sister quickly. If only she’d tell him where the hell she was taking them.

~~~

Eru wasn’t usually the type to jump to negative conclusions. She was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, and she sought to see the best in people. Yet, when she entered Houtarou’s apartment this morning and saw the figure of a woman sitting on Houtarou’s couch, she couldn’t help feeling a little panicked.

Whatever fears she had, however, were dashed as soon as the woman turned to look at her and Eru recognized her face.

“Oh, you’re Houtarou’s sister.”

“Yes that’s right, and may I ask who you are?”

Eru froze, was it okay for her to say she was Houtarou’s girlfriend? Did his sister know they were dating? All she could do was stutter in response.

“How did you know I’m his sister? Why’d you just call him by his first name?”

“Uh, well…” Clearly Tomoe didn’t recognize her, not that Eru could blame her, they only met a few times and that had been years ago. 

“What are you doing in his apartment? Where’d you get a key? Are you here to visit him?”

Eru wasn’t sure if she liked the emphasis Tomoe put on “visit.” She struggled to explain herself.

“I’m just here to—“

That’s when Houtarou emerged from his room, saving her from Tomoe’s rapid fire questions. He seemed none too pleased over the fact that his sister had visited so unexpectedly. She greeted him formally in an attempt to make up for calling him by his first name earlier. As it turned out, his sister didn’t know they were dating. 

It was entirely possible that Houtarou just hadn’t gotten around to telling her, he was forgetful after all, but Eru was still a little hurt by it. It caused that seed of doubt from within her to grow.

Perhaps Houtarou was embarrassed by her after all.

She shook the thought away for now, instead she took out her phone and wrote a message to their friends telling them they might be late. She left out the details, figuring they could explain everything later, and only referring to their current circumstances as a “slight delay.” That’s what she hoped it was at least, it'd be a shame if they missed out on the date, Eru had been looking forward to it.

Though this alternative wasn’t too bad, it gave her the chance to become more familiar with Houtarou’s family. His sister was an elusive figure, so often she was off to some far away land, Eru only actually saw her maybe a few times. This could be a good opportunity to get to know her, but…

“You’re curious about something, aren’t you?” 

Eru nodded, her gaze focused at the woman walking a few paces ahead of them, “I was just wondering where she was planning on taking us.”

“I was kinda hoping she’d answer that question eventually....”

“But she seems determined to keep us in the dark.”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe if we figure out where she’s going we can lose her faster.”

Houtarou gave her a sidelong glance, “you’ve got a point there.”

“Where does she usually like to go?” She asked, trying to get the gears in his head to start turning.

“Out of the country.”

“Be serious, Houtarou.”

“I am being serious…” he muttered, “but if you think about it, with how early it is she’s probably taking us to get breakfast.”

“Do you think she’s taking us to that same cafe we were going to go to?”

“No,” Houtarou pointed behind them, “the cafe’s the other way.”

“Oh…”

“Hold on, she’s stopping.”

Tomoe has indeed stopped, and now she’s turning to face them. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know my way around here. Do you two know of any place good to eat?”

They both stare at her in dumbfounded silence.

“So I guess she was just wandering aimlessly that whole time.”

“Why do I get the feeling she did that intentionally?”

They’ve switched places now, with Eru and Houtarou leading while Tomoe followed a few paces behind.

“What makes you think that?”

“I don’t know… brother’s intuition I guess.”

“Is that even a phrase?”

“Isn’t it?”

He sounded genuinely puzzled, Eru can’t help giggling.

“Anyways, this could give us a chance to lose her.”

She raised her head, “how so?”

“Just follow my lead.”

She didn’t have time to ask him what his plan was, he’s already spun around to speak to his sister.

“Here’s a good place.”

Eru made a small sound of confusion, she hadn’t even realized Houtarou had actually been leading them somewhere. She saw now that they had, in fact, arrived at a small restaurant. It looked crowded.

“Looks pretty busy,” Houtarou voiced her thoughts, “why don’t you go in and see how long it’ll take, Tomoe?”

His sister gave him a look, but she went inside regardless. As soon as she was inside and out of sight, Houtarou grasped Eru’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

To Eru’s surprise, Houtarou started bolting down the sidewalk with such great speed, she had to grab her purse before it slipped off her shoulder. He’s holding onto her hand so tight, his hands are warm and… were they always so much bigger than hers? 

They ran until they reached a crosswalk, turning sharply to hide behind a building. Once they stopped, Houtarou doubled over, panting.

“Are you alright?” Eru is panting as well, but he seemed to be having a tougher time.

“I’ll be… fine… just gotta… catch my breath,” he said between puffs of air.

After a minute or so, Houtarou stood up straight again. She didn’t realize they were still holding hands until he let go to look at his watch.

“It’s already 9 o’clock.”

“Ah! We were supposed to meet Mayaka and Fukube two hours ago. How did so much time pass…”

“Do you think they’re still at the cafe?”

“Hold on, let me see if they sent anything…”

Eru pulled her phone out of her purse. There’s a message from Mayaka, as she reads it her face drops.

“They already left…”

“Well, that’s a shame.”

“What should we do now?”

“We could still go… just the two of us… if you’re alright with that?”

Eru blinked up at him, then nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

He held out his hand for her, blushing slightly. She took it, confirming that yes, his hands really were much bigger than hers. They start walking toward the direction of the cafe.

Staring at their clasped hands, Eru smiled.

“Mayaka, Fukube, and your sister are going to be upset with us. We ditched them all.”

“Satoshi and Ibara will understand once we explain.”

“And what about you sister?”

She thought she saw him go a little pale, even so he smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, I can deal with her.”

~~~

Houtarou didn’t know what he was gonna do about his sister. There was no doubt in his mind that she’d be upset with him. That being said, he did notice something odd about her behavior, like there was some she knew, but wasn’t letting it on.

He didn’t dwell on it any longer, because right now Eru was holding his hand and they were about to go on a date. That was all his mind could focus on at the moment.

The cafe was pleasant and only a few other people were there, they chose a table off in the corner somewhere next to a window. When they get their menus, he’s a little worried that they might not have much for Eru in the way of drinks since she couldn’t have coffee, but is relieved to see that they had a wide selection. He was also relieved to see that they had food, his stomach was starting to growl.

When the waiter came he ordered a coffee and a bagel while Eru got the matcha milk and a cherry danish. Silence washed over them as they wait for their food, it doesn’t feel particularly awkward, but Houtarou still feels the need to say something.

“So have you been on a lot of dates before?”

“Yes, I’d say so. Most of them were pretty dull, if I’m being honest.”

He let out a nervous laugh, “I hope you won’t be saying the same about this one.”

“There’s never a dull moment with you, Houtarou.”

He felt his cheeks get warm at that, and he has to resist the urge to hide his face. “I’m inexperienced though, I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Well, it’s not like we’re strangers.”

“That’s true, but we were apart for several years, so there's still a lot of catching up to do.”

“Hmm, you’re right, a lot can change about a person in eight years.” She brought her hand to her chin and narrowed her eyes like she was studying him. “Though from what I’ve gathered so far, you haven’t changed much.”

“You don’t know that, I could be secretly plotting world domination.”

“Are you?”

“No.”

“That makes me curious about a world where Houtarou Oreki is the supreme ruler.” She gazed out the window, “I imagine it’d be rather quiet.”

“I’d make sure no one would have to work if they didn’t want to and there’d be a daily, mandatory nap time.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. Maybe you should take over the world.”

He chuckled, “I’d surely end up leading humanity to ruin.”

“Perhaps, but it’d be a very peaceful end.”

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of their food. They ate and continued to chat for over an hour before they decided to depart.

They walked back to his apartment building, hands clasped together. They hadn’t really done something like that before today, but it seemed so natural. Her hand fit into his nicely.

“I should probably go home now,” Eru said when they arrived at his apartment building.

“Er, yeah, I…” as he looked down at her he wondered if he should kiss her. That’s what couples usually do on dates, right? Would she want that? They had kissed before, but they hadn’t really talked about it. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Alright, see you later.”

He cursed himself for chickening out as he watched her walk away.

Houtarou entered his apartment with a sigh, ready to spend the rest of his day reading and forget about the fact that he's a big coward.

“You were gone a long time.”

Houtarou froze upon seeing his sister. She’s leaning against the back of his couch with her arms crossed. He’d honestly forgotten she was here.

“Was I?”

“Mhm. I was kinda hoping you’d come back with Chitanda. Shame I didn’t get to talk to her much.”

“Yeah, real shame.”

“So,” Tomoe stood up and uncrossed her arms, “how long have you two been dating?”

“So you figured it out, huh?” He figured there was no point in denying it now.

His sister scoffed, “please, you two are so obvious. Whispering to each other, ditching me to go off who knows where.”

Houtarou sighed in defeat, “sorry about that, it’s just we had plans and you visited so suddenly.”

Tomoe chuckled, “I was expecting it. I could tell you two didn’t want me around.”

He scowled at her, “then why’d you butt in?”

“For the same reason a lot of sisters do things, to mess with their brothers.” Then she smiled and cocked her eyebrow upward, “I spied on you two a bit.”

“You what?! How—“

“You didn’t run that far, it was easy to catch up.”

Houtarou hid his face behind his hand, “why would you—“ 

He’s interrupted by Tomoe’s hand patting his shoulder, he peeked back up at her to see that her usual teasing smile had turned sisterly.

“You two are good together.”

He stared at his sister with wide eyes before he opened his mouth to say something, but she silenced him by whacking the side of his head.

“I’ll see you later,” she gave him one last teasing smirk before turning to leave.

He rubbed his sore temple, ”where are you going?”

“To dad’s. I figure you’ve probably seen enough of me today.”

She slipped her shoes on and opened the front door, “I’ll be leaving for my next trip on Tuesday, so be sure to visit before then.” 

She paused, half out the door, glancing back at him, “you treat that girl well, you hear?”

“Uh, yeah.”

With those departing words she closed the door behind her, leaving Houtarou alone in his apartment.

He sighed, his lips turning up fondly, “she’s such a pain.”


	4. Stood Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satoshi and Mayaka realize they’ve been ditched by Houtarou and Eru. Satoshi decides Houtarou has to make up for it somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all can have a little Satoshi/Mayaka centric chapter, as a treat
> 
> Enjoy~

_ From: Eru Chitanda _

_ Houtarou and I are going to be late, there’s been a slight delay! I apologize 人(_ _*)  _

_ We’ll try to get there ASAP (⌒_⌒;) _

Mayaka frowned at her phone as she reread the message Chi-chan had sent her nearly an hour ago.

“Fuku-chan, I think we’ve been stood up.”

“Looks like it.”

Mayaka slammed her phone down on the table with a huff. It’s one thing to be late, but it’s another thing to not show up at all.

“I don’t like this one bit.”

“Eh? What exactly?” Fuku-chan asked as he raised his coffee cup to his lips.

“That they both ditched us, something’s up.”

Mayaka’s face scrunched up as she thought. Chi-chan wasn’t usually the type to just not show up, at least not without warning. Even Oreki would give some kind of notice.

“Perhaps they got preoccupied with other  _ activities _ .”

His suggestive tone was not lost on her, she looked at him with a horrified expression, “they wouldn’t.”

Fuku-chan shrugged bemusedly, “you never know.”

“No! I refuse to accept that!”

“Think about it!” There was a clatter as Fuku-chan set his cup down. “Chitanda says they’re going to be late and then they just don’t show up without another word? Something had to have happened.”

“And that’s the first thing you think of?”

“Well they are dating now!”

“You really think those two would do something like that after dating for only a month?”

Fuku-chan opened his mouth, but closed it again, frowning. “I guess you’ve got a point there.”

“Thought so.”

Fuku-chan leaned back in his seat with a defeated expression on his face. Then he smirked, “those two have become quite the pair though, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I’m just glad Oreki isn’t third-wheeling us anymore.”

Mayaka was mostly exaggerating— Oreki kept to himself a lot of the time— but there were various instances over the years where he butted in when he wasn’t supposed to or took away Fuku-chan’s attention. He was too dense to ever be aware of what he was doing, it could be frustrating. That being said…

“If he does anything to hurt Chi-chan, he’s dead,” Mayaka growled, gripping the handle of her mug with incredible force.

Fuku-chan laughed, raising his cup back up again, “give him some credit.”

“Knowing that idiot, he’d hurt her without even realizing what he’s doing.”

“But if he were to realize, he’d apologize and make up for it somehow,” he took a sip of his coffee, “that’s just the kinda guy he is.”

Mayaka can’t argue with that. She had her opinions about Oreki, but she knew he wouldn’t intentionally be a jerk to Chi-chan. “Still, how will he realize?”

“He’ll learn,” Fuku-chan’s tone was confident, “he’s already starting to change, don’t you think?”

That was true, Mayaka had noticed a change in Oreki the past month or so. Sure, he’d changed over the years she’d known him, but lately his growth seemed to accelerate. Chi-chan just had that sort of effect.

“Yeah, I guess he has,” Mayaka conceded, “but he remains as oblivious as ever.”

“Well, some things never change.”

“Like how he can never refuse Chi-chan.”

Both her and Fuku-chan laughed at that. Oreki really was quite hopeless when it came to Chi-chan and her boundless curiosity. Watching him solve office mysteries for her made Mayaka feel like she’d been transported back to the halls of Kamiyama High. She vaguely wondered if any of the others had their old uniforms and if they’d still fit like hers did. Probably not in Oreki’s case, since he had so rudely gotten taller since then.

“You know,” Fuku-chan’s voice brought Mayaka out of her brief mental tangent, “I never expected to see Chitanda again after all these years.”

Mayaka nodded, she could vividly recall the message she received from Fuku-chan that day she returned.

_ From: Satoshi Fukube _

_ Mayaka! You won’t believe who I just saw in the hall today! _

Mayaka has been in the middle of copying some files at the time. She responded:

_ Who? _

Not even a second later she got an answer.

_ A certain former Classics Club President! _

She got strange looks from her coworkers when she gasped out loud.

_ Are you serious?!? You better not be joking, Fuku-chan!! _

_ Come down for lunch and find out for yourself ｛・ω-*} _

As it turned out, Fuku-chan had not been joking. Chi-chan really was there, and not only that, but she was working with them now, too. Mayaka couldn’t be more delighted. Although that feeling soured a bit when Fuku-chan came to her with an idea.

“We’ve got to set them up.”

By “them” he of course meant Oreki and Chi-chan. She had been resistant to the idea at first, especially since it involved sending them to a bar alone, but Fuku-chan managed to convince her. She told herself nothing would come out of it, so imagine her initial shock when Chi-chan messaged her that night saying she and Oreki were dating now.

Fuku-chan was awfully pleased with himself after he heard, even though the two had immediately (and quite expectedly) hit a rough patch. They were able to resolve it quickly, but Mayaka had a feeling there was still much for them to work through. As with any new relationship.

“It’s nice to have her around again, even if her and her good-for-nothing boyfriend decided to ditch us. Which I definitely blame him for.”

A devious smile spread across Fuku-chan’s face, “oh don’t worry, I’ll make sure Houtarou makes up for it.”

Mayaka’s not sure if she even wanted to ask.

“You know what else I didn’t expect?”

“What?”

“Chitanda being an alcoholic.”

Mayaka nearly spilled her coffee, she whipped her head around to scowl at him, “that’s—“

“It’s true and you know it!”

“So she gets drunk sometimes, that doesn’t make her an alcoholic! She doesn’t even keep alcohol in her apartment!”

Fuku-chan waved her off, “clam down, you know I was mostly joking.”

Mayaka pouted at him, making it clear that she did not find his joke very funny. He sniggered out a half-hearted apology.

“I know you were surprised when she didn’t get drunk the other night.”

Mayaka went to retort, but she stopped herself. He was right, she had been surprised. She remembered her arms reflexively shooting out to catch Chi-chan as she stood up from the table, expecting her to stumble. She didn’t stumble, didn’t slur her words, she didn’t even need help getting into her apartment. She walked steadily beside Mayaka as they headed home, slightly buzzed at the most. She was happy for it, but she was caught off guard.

She wasn’t going to give Fuku-chan the satisfaction of knowing that for sure.

“You’re full of unfunny jokes today,” she muttered instead as she turned her head away from him.

He only laughed.

~~~

Trying to get Houtarou to come with Satoshi to work socials required herculean effort. It didn’t matter if it was all male or male and female or if the group was big or small, Houtarou would refuse to go. Persuasion would often turn into outright force, and at that point his attendance would depend on how much energy Houtarou wanted to put into avoiding the event.

This time, however, Satoshi had the perfect coercion tactic: Guilt. He insisted that the only way Houtarou could make up for ditching their double date was to go with him to the next social. His friend grambled about it, but he eventually agreed to go.

So a few weeks later on a Friday night, while their girlfriends went off to have a girl‘s night, he and Houtarou headed to the nearest bar with a few of their male coworkers. Houtarou did nothing to conceal his lack of excitement.

Truthfully, Satoshi wasn’t a big fan of these work events either. He liked drinking, but not getting drunk, and if he went alone then he tended to get drunk. That’s part of the reason why he was always trying to get Houtarou to come with him. Houtarou hardly drank at all, and he was surprisingly good at knowing when to cut other people off, so Satoshi never got drunk when he was around. That and he felt his old friend could use some more socialization from time to time.

This group they were with now seemed rather mellow, so Satoshi hoped Houtarou wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable. 

“I’m surprised you came here, Oreki. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at one of these before.” One of the men, a blond fellow who looked to be around their same age, remarked.

“Heh, yeah, you never struck me as the drinking type.” The other, a brown-haired kid who seemed a few years younger, agreed.

“I’m not,” Houtarou responded plainly as he munched on his side of fries.

“My friend here tends to keep to himself, but he’s a nice guy, I promise.”

“If he’s friends with you, Satoshi, then I’ll believe it.”

“Haven’t you two been friends since middle school?”

“That’s right.”

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve talked to my middle school friends since… well, middle school.”

Satoshi chuckled, “Houtarou follows me around wherever I go.”

He didn’t miss the sharp glare Houtarou shot his way, but he also didn’t deny his claim.

“Anyways, Houtarou may seem stand-offish, but he’s cute on the inside.”

“Cute?” Houtarou muttered while their coworkers laughed. He looked more confused than offended.

“Ah, I think I heard someone in my department say the same thing!” The blond tapped at his chin as if trying to recall the memory. “I think it was Miss Chitanda?”

“Really? If anything, she’s the cute one!” The brunette stated.

Satoshi found himself glancing over at Houtarou, his face was stoic as ever. So much for this group not making him uncomfortable.

“You wouldn’t say that if you had to work with her, she’s constantly asking questions and she messes something up at least once a week.”

“You wouldn’t have a chance with her anyways,” the blond added, “she’s got a boyfriend.”

“How do you know that?”

“She said so herself! Just a few weeks ago she brought these cookies after visiting her family and she said to make sure we save some for her boyfriend.”

It was hard to see under the dim lights of the bar, but Satoshi could tell by the way Houtarou averted his gaze that he was blushing.

“You think there’s a chance they’ll break up?” The brunette asked, earning himself a frown from Houtarou, which he took no notice of.

“How am I supposed to know that?”

“I guess you wouldn’t care to know, since you're into her friend, Miss Ibara, right?”

Satoshi jumped to attention at that, these guys really had a lot of nerve.

“I don’t get what you see in her,” the brunette continued, “I hear she’s a total nag. Not to mention she’s flat as a board.”

Satoshi nearly choked on his food, Houtarou patted him on the back.

“She’s just got a lot of spunk, but I guess you’re right about her chest.”

“Besides, I hear she’s got a boyfriend, too.”

“Well, you never know when that could change.”

Hearing enough, Satoshi decided to interject. “You two,” He took a swig of his drink, slamming it on the table, catching their attention as he glowered at the two men across the table, “should really focus on pursuing girls who are single instead.” 

His expression must’ve been pretty severe because they rushed to apologize. He put on an easy smile and waved away their apologies.

“No need to apologize, although, if I heard you talking about my girlfriend like that I’d be pretty upset.”

The subject was quickly changed and the rest of the night passed without much else of note.

After their meal, he and Houtarou parted ways with their coworkers, who stumbled off in a drunken haze.

“You sure scared those guys earlier,” Houtarou commented as they walked along the street.

“Heh, I hadn’t meant to get so serious on them.”

Houtarou shrugged, “it serves them right, they really shouldn’t be talking about their coworkers like that.” 

Satoshi grinned, “guess they’ll think twice before talking about taken women, huh?”

Houtarou huffed and ran his fingers through his bangs, “these work socials really are a waste of energy.”

“You know what, I think you’ve got a point.”

~~~

In high school, Mayaka had learned that it really didn’t take much to impress Chi-chan. 

If you did anything remotely impressive, she would praise you to high heavens. Mayaka came to find, as Chi-chan gushed over her manga, that that fact held true even today.

That wasn’t particularly a bad thing. For one it was nice to receive such resounding approval, but it almost seemed disingenuous. Mayaka knew Chi-chan well enough to know that wasn’t her intention. She was earnest to a fault, backhanded compliments were just not in her wheelhouse. It was refreshing in a way, a nice juxtaposition from the rest of the adult world, a respite from harsh reality.

“Ah, I love this character! She’s so cute!” Chi-chan beamed as she flipped through the pages of Mayaka’s manga.

“You say that about all the characters.”

“Ah, do I?”

Mayaka chuckled, “well, maybe not all, but most of them.”

“They’re just all so wonderful!”

Mayaka leaned back, craning her neck to look at her bookshelf from where she sat on the floor. “Maybe I should give you some manga besides my own to read, you might change your mind on mine.”

“None of those manga were written by my friend, the fact that this one was makes it special.”

Mayaka smiled, then she leaned further back until she was laying on the floor. “I still want you to read some others, it’ll be nice to talk about them with someone besides Fuku-chan. Only if you want to, of course.”

“Sure, I’d love to!”

“Have you read any manga besides mine?”

“Hmm,” Chi-chan carefully lowered the manga she held as she thought, “I think I read that one you showed me in high school...  _ A Corpse by Evening _ ?”

“That’s a good one, I’ll have to see if I have more like that.” Mayaka made a show of sighing dramatically as she spread her arms out. “Not now, though, I’m too tired from eating.”

Chi-chan giggled, “you sound like Houtarou.”

Mayaka groaned, “how dare you compare me to him.”

“I don’t think it’s bad to be compared to him, he’s very kind.”

Sitting herself back up, Mayaka regarded Chi-chan seriously, “is he treating you well?”

“Yes, very much so,” Chi-chan smiled, but after a moment it wavered slightly and she looked down at the floor.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s just,” Chi-chan fiddled with the hem of her skirt, “I feel like I always make a fool of myself around him… I must embarrass him.”

“How so?”

“Like getting drunk so often…”

Mayaka had to hold back from wincing, remembering the conversation she’d had with Fuku-chan not that long ago. “You haven’t lately.”

“Yes, that’s true.” 

Chi-chan’s voice got quiet and Mayaka tilted her head. Her friend was now holding her chin in her hand with a troubled expression.

“It’s odd, I don’t think I’ve been doing anything different and yet...”

She paused, eyebrows creasing as she thought.

“Well, it’s like one moment I’m drinking a beer and then the next I’m drinking water and I don’t remember asking for it. How curious is that?”

“You should really watch your drinks better.”

“I guess I didn’t think of it before because I was a bit buzzed or maybe it’s because I wanted to believe I did that on my own, but... now I wonder...”

“I’m afraid I’m not as good at Oreki at figuring out mysteries.”

“That’s fine. I think… I think I should figure this one out on my own.”

Mayaka raised an eyebrow at that, but decided not to push the issue further. She stood up, deciding they needed a subject change.

“Well, let me see what I can find for you.” She walked over to her bookshelf, leaning forward as she ran a finger along the spines. “You don’t really read mysteries, right?”

“No.”

“Good, because Fuku-chan took all of mine.”

Her finger halted when one of the titles caught her eye. She pulled out the book, examining the blue cover with two young protagonists standing with their foreheads pressed together. This book belonged to a romance shoujo series that she remembered reading while it was still being published. The main girl sort of reminded Mayaka of Chi-chan, with her polite, soft spoken attitude and her long black hair.

“How do you feel about some romance?”

“Romance? That sounds nice.”

“This one’s a little long,” Mayaka went to Chi-chan and handed her the book, “so I’ll lend you the first one to read and you can see what you think.”

“Thank you,” Chi-chan nodded as she took the book with both hands. She scanned the cover for a moment before turning it over to read the back.

“I think you’ll like it, it’s very sweet.”

“I’ll have to read it when I get home.”

As Mayaka sat back down and rested her chin on top of her knees, watching Chi-chan get up to store the manga in her purse.

“You know,” Mayaka said after a moment, “I don’t think you should worry too much about making a fool of yourself in front of Oreki.”

She saw Chi-Chan freeze, when she didn’t say anything, Mayaka continued. “He makes a fool of himself all the time, I don’t think he minds.”

“Besides,” Mayaka heaved a sigh, “you’re bound to make a fool of yourself in front of someone you love. The best thing to do is to just laugh it off and move on.”

Silence filled her apartment before Chi-chan muttered out a tiny “you think so?”

Mayaka laughed lightly, “trust me.”

~~~

Satoshi gazed down at the cylindrical container in his hands, tossing it carefully between his palms. It held within it a rolled up piece of paper declaring his completion of high school. Twelve whole years of continued education and that was all he had to show for it. 

Right now he was sitting in the Classics Club room, watching from the window as his fellow graduates convened with their friends and families. The Classics Club had managed to convince a few first years to join their club before they had to retire to focus on their studies, which meant it would live on just a few years longer. Satoshi wondered just how long it would be before it died out and the hopes of Houtarou’s sister along with it. The idealistic part of himself said it wouldn’t happen, that somehow it would live on; that even if it did end up getting abolished, its legacy would still live on through its anthologies and former members. But it was just that, an idealistic fantasy.

“I thought you’d be in here.”

Satoshi turned his head in surprise at the sound of a familiar voice, having not heard the door open. Maybe that was because he hadn’t even closed it in the first place. Mayaka stood just a few feet away from him, holding her own diploma loosely in her hand.

“Oreki and Chi-chan left already with their families.” Mayaka walked over and sat down in the seat across from him. “Chi-chan was hoping we could get together for brunch or something before she leaves for university on Saturday.”

Satoshi only hummed in acknowledgement, still staring out the window, not really looking at anything in particular.

“Something on your mind?”

“The future, mostly,” he slouched forward and gripped the diploma in his hands tighter. “I was hoping by this point I’d know what I’d want to do with my life, but it’s still a mystery.”

“Most people our age don’t, and you’ll be going to college, so that’s a start.”

“Is it really a good idea to go if I don’t have a clear path in mind?”

“Guess it depends on who you ask.”

Satoshi tore his eyes away from the window and to Mayaka, she’s staring out the window as well. She doesn’t seem all that worried.

“You don’t seem so worried,” he said, echoing his own thoughts, “though I guess that’s because you’ve already got yourself figured out.”

Mayaka snorted and shook her head, “not at all.”

“Then how are you so relaxed?”

“Because,” she turned to him with a soft smile on her face. Her hand reached out, prying one of his own away from his diploma and holding it firmly. “Whatever the future holds I know you’ll be beside me.”

“Fuku-chan, are you listening?”

Mayaka’s voice brought Satoshi out of his recollections, he blinked up at his girlfriend who was giving him a hard stare. “Did you say something?”

Mayaka huffed, “never mind, clearly you were zoned out. You’ve been staring at that screentone for almost an hour.”

Satoshi looked down at the piece of paper in his hands, the image of a black and white gradient covered in large circular outlines made to look like sparkles printed on it.

“I was trying to tell you that you don’t have to worry about background screentones yet, I just need you to do the solid ones.” Mayaka plucked the paper out of his hands and replaced it with one that was printed with a solid gray pattern.

“Sorry, maybe I’m just tired from staying out so late with Houtarou last night.”

Mayaka pouted at him, as she often did, and jabbed her pen in his direction. “He’s not rubbing off on you, is he? Because if that’s the case, we might have to break up.”

Satoshi chuckled, “you probably should’ve done that years ago, he’s been influencing me since middle school.”

Mayaka raised a brow and pursed her lips, humming briefly before going back to drawing. Satoshi had the distinct feeling that he said something she found amusing.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

Even though he’s not in on whatever private little joke Mayaka had with herself, he smiled. Then he leaned over and planted a kiss on Mayaka’s cheek.

“Eh? What was that for?”

“No reason.”

“Give a girl some warning next time! You nearly made me mess up this panel.”

He grinned at her, watching her blushing face as her eyes darted from him to the page she was working on.

“What are you doing? Go back to work.”

“Alright, alright.”

If Satoshi was being honest, he didn’t have any more of an idea of what he wanted to do with himself as he did that day at graduation. Working at some stuffy desk job hadn’t been his original goal, but he was still young, he had time to figure it out.

Besides, whatever the future held he knew Mayaka would be beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone can guess what manga Mayaka gave Eru, I’ll give you a gold star


End file.
